A Conversation Among Angels
by Isannah
Summary: My one shot entry for the "Fic a Pic" Contest: Another failed relationship. What's a guardian angel to do? This particular one has no idea considering he's partly to blame for Edward's current state. He needs help.


**My entry for the Fic a Pic Contest hosted by ****Souplover9**, **Spanglemaker9, and TallulahBelle**

**Title: A Conversation Among Angels**

**Summary: Another failed relationship. What's a guardian angel to do? This particular one has no idea considering he's partly to blame for Edward's current state. He needs help.**

**Check out the other entries as well as the inspiration. It's really pretty.**

**http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~ficapiccontest**

**Disclaimer: Rated M. I do not own Twilight.**

**A Conversation Among Angels**

Peter sits and watches. And more often than not he intervenes. He's been doing it for years. A tug on the conscience here, a gut feeling there...it's his responsibility to make sure the right choices are made and best actions are taken. He'd like to think that throughout the years he's taken the best possible care of him, but the broken man in front of him tells him different.

And he doesn't fucking like it.

The man sitting precariously close to the edge has been there for hours. His vacant stare is reminiscent of the one he perfected so many years ago when his world crashed in on him. It helped him muddle through some of the most painful moments of his life. It was a mask so to speak. The emptiness in his face made Peter feel he needed to sit next to the man with his arm resting across his back. Edward Cullen wasn't jumping or falling on his fucking watch. That was for damn sure.

Peter had been assigned to Edward when he had been in high school. His parents were killed in a tragic car accident and his life spiraled out of control as alternative waves of anger and despair consumed him. He needed someone and unbeknownst to Edward, Peter was put in place to be that someone. It had been a challenge to get him through that dark time of his life. There were many times when he thought that no matter what he did, Edward had been fated to a life of heartache, bitterness, and destructive behavior. But Peter didn't give up. Instead he threw himself into his work and made it his mission to bring some comfort and peace to young Edward and make sure he followed a positive path, one his parents could be proud of.

It had been their dying wish after all.

Over time, Edward's sadness weakened and he began to embrace his new life with his uncle's family. His life became full again and Peter couldn't help but take some pride in knowing he had been somewhat responsible. Accepting the love from his new family, playing baseball, making friends, graduating from high school and college with honors, being an accomplished musician, working towards a successful career that made him boat loads of money…Peter could be given partial credit to all of them. He had been there every step of the way. Guiding, encouraging, and even pushing at times. But there was that was one area where Edward and Peter failed every time. Tonight was no different and Peter sighed knowing he had some accountability in this particular shit storm.

"Wow. Look what the cat dragged in." Peter rolled his eyes as he realized he was not alone. He took note of Edward's appearance and saw that her assessment was spot on. The clothes were stylish but were plagued with wrinkles created from being in them for hours. His hair stuck up in multiple directions from the constant dragging of his hand through it and the dark shadows under his eyes indicated a combination of stress and a lack of sleep. He had made a major dent in a bottle of liquor and had let cigarette after cigarette dangle in his hand. Giving in to an old and forgotten habit, he would take a few drags of one and then let the rest of it burn, barely noticing when it singed his fingers. Then he would light another one and do the same thing all over again. And then of course there was the stare. Yeah, the boy was a fucking mess. He wasn't going to admit that shit. At least not to her.

"Hello, Charlotte. To what do I owe the honor?" He asked without trying to hide the disdain in his voice. He and Charlotte had crossed paths several times and he always thought she was a cool girl. But tonight he was in no mood for her bullshit.

"My assignment was close by so I thought I'd pop by and see how you guys were doing. Rough night?" He could sense the smirk on her face without even looking at it. God, she was loving this and he couldn't figure out why. Not that he really cared.

"What do you think?" Peter snapped. He knew he had failed Edward again, but he didn't need it to be pointed out to him. "If you're here to rub in my face how I fucking screwed up again, save your breath."

"Why Peter, I would never rub _anything_ in your face. You should know that by now." Sarcastic as ever, Peter noted. It was true he was attracted to her. Even at over a hundred years old Charlotte was gorgeous. Peter liked her personality as well. She was pretty down to earth, no pun intended, but that fucking mouth of hers. She was quick witted and knew exactly how to get under his skin. Fucking her would be fun if he could just get her to shut the fuck up.

"Well, that's a shame, but I'd much rather rub something in yours." Peter waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively to which she responded with an exaggerated eye roll. Once his moment of immaturity was over, he moved on to a more appropriate topic. "So new assignment, huh? How's it going?"

"Not too bad. She's a real sweetheart and on paper, she's seems simple enough. Doesn't need a lot, wants for even less. But let me tell you, I figured out why she's been through four placements in the past two years. The girl is a class A danger magnet. Keeping her physically safe is a full time job. Just yesterday she had her nose so far in a book that she almost walked into the side of a parked bus. Who _does_ that? It took all the strength I had to will her to look up in time. It's so draining. I haven't even had a chance to help her with some of the things she's wanted for a long time."

"Man, that does fucking suck." It truly did. Peter realized he had gotten lucky with Edward in that respect. He was as graceful as a fucking swan.

"Eh, I think I finally got her figured out. I've learned to predict and anticipate." Charlotte shrugged to indicate that she didn't want to discuss it any further and Peter was happy not to push. There was a pause between them as they both started to appraise Edward again. He continued to be motionless and the stare was still in place. Peter tried to pick the thoughts out of his head but they were so jumbled he couldn't make most of them out. It was very frustrating. "So, what's the deal? Why does he look like someone butchered his puppy?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah, maybe I can help." Peter wasn't sure if Charlotte was being genuine or not, but he was desperate for any advice he could get. What he was doing wasn't working. What he didn't know was that Charlotte was actually there when it all went down, she was just curious about what it was like from Edward's perspective. Allowing Charlotte in, Peter replayed in his mind what had caused Edward to find refuge on the roof with a bottle of liquor and a pack of cigarettes.

_The attire: dressy casual. The meal: filet mignon with all the trimmings. The host: Edward's younger, but no nonsense cousin, Alice Cullen. The occasion: Edward's twenty-fifth birthday._

_Alice had insisted on celebrating. After all, how many times is Edward going to turn a quarter of a century old? She promised her skeptical cousin that it would be nothing more than a small dinner party with friends. Thirty friends to be exact._

"_So, what do you think, Eddie bo beddie?" Alice asked him when the party was in full swing. As much as Edward hated to admit it, it was nice. He was enjoying himself and the full bar more than he thought he would. He put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a loving squeeze. She had always been more like a sister to him_

"_It's great, cuz. Really. You were right. A party is just what I needed." It couldn't have been closer to the truth. Edward had been so busy at work that he didn't even realize how much he missed being carefree. It was refreshing._

"_So, where's Leah. I haven't seen her yet tonight." It was true. Three hours in and Leah, Edward's girlfriend of two years, was MIA. Edward wasn't sure how he felt about that. Part of him asked himself if it were too much to ask for his girlfriend to be visible at his birthday party. The other, more dominant part liked the feeling of freedom he got when she wasn't around. It was a toss up as to what he cared about more, but the fact was he didn't care enough to stress about it despite thinking that he would probably ask Leah to marry him…at some point. There was no hurry._

"_She's around somewhere. Probably knee deep in a conversation about handbags with Lauren, no doubt." He wiggled the glass of ice that he held in his hand trying to make what was left of his Jack Daniels multiply._

"_As if Lauren knows anything about handbags, unless you count the pleather collection from Wal-Mart." Edward laughed at his cousin's jab at his girlfriend's friend. Lauren had never been Edward's favorite, but he put up with her for Leah's benefit. "Well, go find her. It's almost cake time."_

_Edward did what Alice told him to do. He learned early on that she could be scary as fuck when she wanted to be and he did not want to piss her off. Talking to many people in his path, he made his way around the fancy high rise apartment that he called home. He checked all the obvious places for Leah, but to no avail, could not seem to locate her. Finally after exhausting all other possibilities, he quickly checked his bedroom. Empty. He turned with the intent of heading directly to the bar for a refill when he heard a giggle. Not just any giggle, Leah's giggle. Not thinking, he crossed the room to the adjoining bathroom and knocked._

"No fucking way. On his birthday? That's so not cool." Charlotte had a good idea of what had happened from what she had witnessed of Edward's meltdown just after, but to see the finer details from his point of view was down right repulsive.

"Wait. It get's better." Peter said without any emotion.

"_Leah, are you in there? You okay?" Quick, frantic movements and hushed whispering from the other side of the door told him things were definitely not okay. His hand quickly grasped the door knob which he found to be locked. "What the fuck, Leah? This isn't funny. Open the fucking door."_

_After what seemed like eternity, the door slowly opened. Edward nearly fainted at the site of Leah and his co-worker and friend adjusting their clothes. "What…what is going on in here?" Leah looked directly into his eyes._

_There was no hiding._

_There was no remorse._

_There was only resolve._

"_I-I'm sorry you found out this way, but it's over Edward. It has been for a long time. I'm in love with Sam." Edward, utterly speechless, turned around and stumbled out of the room and into a sea of guests. People tried to talk to him but he found himself unable to find his voice. He was barely aware of his surroundings as he tried to come to terms with what he just saw. Across the room, he locked eyes with Alice and suddenly she knew. Edward had found out. From her expression, he knew that she knew. What the fuck did that mean? Instantly she was in front of him, flanked by their childhood friend who also looked guilty of knowing too much._

"_Edward? Edward? What happened? Where's Leah?"_

"_She's…she's with Sam." He replied, the words tasting like acid on his tongue._

"_Oh God, no. She promised, not tonight." Edward looked at her and finally registered what was happening._

"_You knew?" He said a little louder than proper but didn't realize that everyone was now looking at the scene enfolding in front of them. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" Her lowering eyes confirmed it. He was officially done with his cousin for the moment as he turned on his friend. "Let me guess, you knew too."_

"_No, just suspected. I'm…I'm so sorry, Edward." She tried to reach out to him but he backed away as if she were wielding a weapon. If he hadn't been so infuriated with the situation he probably could have felt the sincerity in her voice. She looked hurt by his reaction and Edward normally would have been the first one to reassure her that he wasn't angry at her, but he couldn't find it in himself to do it this time._

"_Who else knew?" He turned to his guests that included friends, family members, and co-workers who all stopped what they were doing. "Who else fucking knew?" Edward said more loudly as he pursed his lips. By their sudden silence and the way they avoided his gaze, he had his answer. Just then Leah and Sam emerged from the bedroom, looking guilty as sin. Edward glared at the way he possessively held his arm around her waist. How long had this been going on? And how long had no one said a word to him? He didn't feel loss and it surprised him a little. He did, though, feel blindsided, betrayed, foolish, and most of all embarrassed._

"_Well, that's just fucking wonderful. Happy fucking birthday to me." Ignoring the nervous stares directed at him, he walked over to the bar and ordered another drink, but before the bartender could pour it for him, he grabbed the bottle out of his hand. "I'm taking this." He said robotically as he left the apartment and headed for the roof, leaving everyone there to stare after him_.

"That is just horrible. Poor Edward. How long has he been like this?" Charlotte said as Peter's memory wrapped up the whole horrid scene. She seemed sincere enough.

"Awhile." His resolve to shut Charlotte out crumbled as he realized he needed to talk to someone. "I fucked up again."

"What did Irina have to say? Did she have any idea this was going on?" Peter winced at the mention of Leah's guardian. He should have been in contact with her the entire time but something about her really rubbed him the wrong way. So when things seemed to be going well a month or so after Edward and Leah got together, he let it go and hadn't spoken to her since.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her." Peter refused to look at Charlotte whose jaw had dropped.

"You haven't talked to her? Peter, why the hell not? You're right, you fucked up. You could have helped Edward avoid a lot of this shit if you knew what Leah had been thinking."

"You don't think I know that? I just…Irina is such a bitch. I couldn't deal with her…" Charlotte cut him off.

"It's your job to deal with her. And now because you didn't, Edward is about one cancer stick away from heaving himself over the edge." She was right. Every goddamn thing she was saying was right. He wanted to defend himself, but when he opened his mouth to do just that, he had…nothing.

"You're right. I should have kept in contact with her. It was my responsibility to do so." Peter looked at the ground as he said it not wanting to face Charlotte's 'I told you so' stare. "I just don't get it. Why do all my attempts to help him find him someone end up in disaster?" An unladylike snort from Charlotte made Peter snap his head up to look at her.

"Asks the man who thought it was a good idea for Edward to lose his virginity to a stripper. Really, Peter?" Charlotte rolled her eyes. Her emphasis on the word stripper spoke volumes as to what she thought of that inspiration.

"Hey, that was the best idea ever. Even Eleazer thought it was a good plan." Eleazer was Emmett's guardian; Edward's other cousin and best friend. Peter had gone to him to elicit his help. Edward was seventeen and one big massive ball of hormones. It was high time that he did the deed if for no other reason that to relieve the sexual frustration that Peter had to hear coming from Edward's mind on a ten second basis. The two of them encouraged Emmett to help Edward with his little cherry situation.

_Edward stood in his boxers and socks as he watched the strawberry blond woman slowly undress herself. Normally he preferred brunettes, but when this girl, no this woman came up to him as he was studying in the library, he forgot that he even had a preference. She was gorgeous. Not in a natural way, a lot of effort went into achieving this look, but she was still fucking sexy. And she wanted him. _

_She made her intentions very clear and soon the two of them were standing in the middle of her shitty studio apartment getting ready to have sex. He could have taken the plunge many times before, but the girls in high school were just that, high school girls. He couldn't find it in himself to give in to them or their bullshit drama. They never appealed to him the way this woman did. He was excited, that was obvious. But the expression on his face showed that he was also nervous as hell._

_Tanya knew he would be. He was a virgin after all and it was her job to show him a good time. His innocence was endearing and his body was hot for a teenager. It held the promise of being spectacular and then some once he grew into it. She suddenly wanted to be the one to turn this beautiful boy into a man. Once she was completely naked, she positioned herself on the bed and beckoned him to her._

"God, she was such a slut. What were you thinking?" Implored Charlotte who was obviously disgusted.

"That she was a fucking slut. It was kind of the point." Peter said with an eye roll and a tone that suggested Charlotte was being stupid. It earned him a muttered 'whatever' before they returned their focus on the memory.

"_Come here, sugar." Edward stayed where he was as he wrapped his arms around his middle and confessed his inexperience._

"_I…I haven't done this before. I don't know what to do." He said it like he was ashamed and Tanya wasn't having that._

"_I gathered that from the fact that you still have your socks on. Don't worry, baby. I'm going to take good care of you." She opened her eyes and her legs and coaxed him with the sincerity in her voice to come to her. Which he did._

_Edward fumbled around not knowing what to put where. Tanya was patient. She put the condom on him, helped him get situated, and then encouraged him to push into her by wrapping her own legs around him. She guided his hips as his dick moved in and out of the warmest, wettest, and sweetest place he had ever known. A minute and a half later he was convulsing and unable to hold back the strong orgasm that had been brewing since he saw her at the library. He collapsed on top of her, completely spent and totally embarrassed at his lack of control._

"_Fuck! I...I'm so sorry." Tanya patted his back letting him know it was okay. It was what she expected, but it didn't make the throbbing down below stop. She needed her release._

"_Don't worry about it, sweetie. Was it good for you?" Edward couldn't believe she would have to ask that._

"_Of course." And then he got a little brave. "I'd like to do it again." She chuckled._

"_I'm sure you would and I have no doubt that you are ready to go, but first you're going to do something for me. Tell me Edward, have you ever made a girl cum?" Edward's eyes widened in surprise._

"_Um, well, I don't really know. I've…touched a few girls but I can't be sure that I…that they…"_

"_Well, if you aren't sure then the answer is probably no." Edward's shoulders sagged in defeat as he replayed in his mind the coupled of times he had tried to get a girl off and apparently failed._

"_Now don't do that to yourself, baby. Has anyone ever shown you how to touch a woman?"_

"_Uh, no. Not really."_

"_Then how would you know? You have nothing to be ashamed about. But after today, you'll have no excuse because by the time we're done, you'll understand what to do to make a girl scream your name in ecstasy. Make sure you take good notes because it will be the most valuable lessen you ever learn." Tanya proceeded to show Edward exactly what to do. He watched in awe as she came undone from the things he was doing to her with his hands and his mouth. Future women in Edward's life would benefit from his new found knowledge; Tanya had made sure of that. Once completely satisfied, she fucked Edward one more time and then sent him on his way._

"I do not regret that one bit. Because of her, he has turned out to be a very generous lover." Peter spoke the words with pride.

"You seemed to forget how that whole thing ended." Once again, Charlotte was bringing up shit Peter did not want to remember. Edward tried to go to Tanya again and again, thinking they had something between them. She finally blurted out the agreement she had with Emmett and made sure Edward understood that he did not have a chance with her. Edward had been devastated especially since the important people in his life found out from Emmett's big mouth.

"Yeah, the immediate aftermath sucked, but he got over it. Eventually." So Peter had kind of downplayed the consequences of that episode in Edward's life. Embarrassment didn't even begin to cover what he was feelings when his friends and family looked at him with expressions ranging from extreme pity to disappointment to hurt. Well, only one looked at him with hurt in her eyes, but it didn't matter anyway. Edward couldn't bring himself to look at anyone in the eye for two months. He also refused to speak to Emmett during that time as well.

"You are such a dumbass. You freakin' guys took that boy's chance to find someone he actually loved to share his first time with. He can never get that back."

"Please, he was a teenage boy. He needed someone to shack wackle his dilly and we did just that. And besides, Edward wasn't even close to falling in love with someone. It would have been years before he lost his virginity if he had waited." That incident had tugged at Peter's conscious for a long time afterwards, but he wasn't about to let Charlotte know that.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he just wasn't looking for love in the right places." Charlotte gave Peter a raised eyebrow to indicate that it was his fault that Edward was lacking someone to love in his life.

"Whatever, Charlotte. That was seven years ago. It's done and we have moved on." Peter growled. He was done talking about how much he had failed when it came to Edward losing his virginity.

"Moved on to what? A string of meaningless, unsatisfying, unsuccessful relationships? You know, sometimes the most obvious choice isn't the best one."

"What do you mean exactly?" He asked warily. He felt like he was being set up and needed to proceed with caution.

"What I mean is looking back, you helped Edward pursue the same kind of women over and over again. Beautiful, sexy, confident, glamorous even. It's not completely your fault. From the outside they seemed like they would be the perfect fit for Edward. I mean look at the boy. He's drop dead fucking gorgeous and that hair, what I wouldn't give to just take my hands and…"

"Can you just get to the fucking point?" Peter's patience was wearing thin.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. As I was saying he's pretty attractive himself so it just makes sense that he should be with a girl equally so."

"That's what I was trying to do."

"Yeah, but what you didn't factor in is that under that sexy façade, Edward is a kind, trusting, passionate person. He's a relationship type of guy. When he's in, he's all in. Those women were never fully committed to him because they were shallow and greedy. They only wanted certain things from Edward even though he was willing to give them everything. Can't you see how to them Edward was nothing more than a pretty face and a bank account? It would have worked if Edward was the same as them, but he's not. He's got so much more to offer, but only to a girl who can accept his love and truly love him back."

She had a point. He knew there was more to Edward than just what was on the surface, but he truthfully thought that these women would make him happy. At first glance they appeared to be ideal for Edward but they turned out to be all wrong. Every single one of them.

First there was Jane.

"_It's been six months, Edward. Six months and I still don't have a ring. Do you think I'm going to just sit around and wait forever?" If foot stamping was an art form, Jane could change her name to Van Gogh. _

"_This is about your friends? We haven't been together that long. I'm not ready for that type of commitment and your fucking friends are not a good enough reason to jump into anything. We're not even out of school yet." Edward was not giving in on this one. He was only twenty years old for crying out loud. He did not want to get married anytime soon._

"_It's not like you even need to go to school." He knew what she was implying. When Edward turned twenty-one he would gain access to the trust fund his parents had set up for him. He had always known the money would be coming to him and he knew it would make his life easier, but finishing school and making his own money was important to him. He didn't want to rely on his parents' fortune and he sure as hell wasn't going to let some spoiled pre-Madonna squander it away on spa trips and designer clothes. His parents had worked hard for that money and he had plans on doing something meaningful with it. _

_He narrowed his eyes at Jane letting her know that using his parents' money to support her as his fucking trophy wife was simply not an option. They were in a stalemate for about five minutes as she glared back. Edward wasn't backing down and she knew there was no point in arguing with him anymore. "Well, if you're not going to marry me then I guess there isn't anything else to talk about."_

"_I guess not." Jane moved out the next day and he hadn't heard from her since._

Then there was Emily.

"_It's Alice's birthday. I have to go. I want to go."_

"_You're always doing things with them. What about me? I never get to see you."_

"_Go with me then." They fought about this…a lot. He was constantly trying to get Emily acquainted with his family. They were important to him and if this was going to work, they had to be important to her too._

"_Ugh, and be subjected to one of Esme's home baked cakes. I think I'll pass." Her blatant disrespect towards Esme made Edward see red. How dare he insult the woman who had been a mother to him since his had died?_

"_They are my family and I won't ditch them." His jaw clenched and Emily realized she had crossed a line. She walked over and suggestively ran her hands down his side._

"_I'm sorry, baby. I just want to be as significant to you as they are. I mean, they're not even your immediate family. Why do you have to be the loyal fucking puppy dog?" Edward didn't respond to her touch as she would have hoped him to. Instead he grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed her off of him while muttering some of the last words she would ever hear out of his mouth._

"_That's nice, Em, real nice. When I get back, I think it would be best if you weren't here."_

And we can't forget about Heidi.

"_You're fucking married?" Edward recoiled when she tried to move in to touch him. They had been together every which way for four months and this was a crucial piece of information she had never shared with him. _

"_Unfortunately yes, but that doesn't mean we can't still have fun, baby." She suggestively licked her lips. It only made him feel more disgusted. How could she do this to him? To her husband? He quickly put his clothes on and made his way to the motel door._

"_Yeah, it fucking does." Edward stated as he walked out of the room and out of her life for good._

There were a few others and they all ended in similar fashion. They truly didn't love Edward, not in the way he deserved to be. Fortunately he was able to recognize it before they got close enough to break his heart. But there was always a dull ache in his chest that never went away. At the time, Peter chalked to various other factors. Now he could see it for what it really was. Edward wanted someone to cherish and he wanted to be cherished in return. Peter sighed in disgust for himself. He had handled Edward's love life so badly. Charlotte, sensing that the proverbial light bulb went off, gently put her arm around Peter in an attempt to comfort him. Guardians weren't perfect. She had made her own fair share of mistakes in the past when it came to doing the right thing for an assignment. However, she also knew that Edward's current situation was about to change for the better and in turn, Peter would be able to put this all behind him.

"Like I said before, they were the obvious choice, but not the right choice. Believe it or not, the right choice for Edward has been sitting right under his nose all a long."

Peter tried to rack his brain as to what he was missing here. He brought to mind co-workers, acquaintances from the gym, women had had gone to school with. None of them seemed to be Edward's type.

"I'm not really understanding right now." Peter confessed. Charlotte tried to keep herself from exploding. She was tired of trying to get Peter to figure this out all on his own. Men were so fucking stupid sometimes.

"For crying out loud, you men are all the same. You either can't see the big fucking picture or are oblivious to what is right in front of you." The look of utter confusion on his face made Charlotte irritated as hell. "Ughh. Just watch and learn." She finally blurted out in repugnance.

Peter's eyes followed her outstretched arm that was pointing to the door. At first he saw nothing but didn't dare open his mouth. Pissing Charlotte off even more would not work to his advantage. He was starting to get impatient but then he saw the door to the roof slowly open. He glanced to Edward who was currently snuffing out his latest unsmoked cigarette. He looked up just in time to see a small form step out of the door way.

Edward and Peter had the same expression as the familiar girl with Hello Kitty pajamas and a fluffy purple robe stepped onto the roof. She looked around until her eyes settled on Edward, who was staring back at her. Peter now understood what Charlotte meant when she talked of someone who was right under his nose. Bella Swan had been there, that was for sure. But Peter never really took notice of her. She was always on the periphery, never really saying much.

Or did she?

"Are you Bella's guardian?" Peter asked while trying to fit all the pieces together.

"Yup."

"You knew about this?"

"Yup. Now shut up. You're ruining our moment."

_Bella and Alice cleaned up from the party that had come to an abrupt halt and waited for Edward to come home. Finally, she and Alice decided to just let him work it out on his own and went to sleep in Edward's guest room like they had done a thousand times before after hanging out with him. He even called it the 'Alice and Bella' or 'AB' room. Alice had all but collapsed, exhausted from the party preparation and the stressful situation that had ended it earlier than planned. But Bella hadn't been able to fall asleep. She just couldn't. Edward's humiliation had plagued her. Yeah, she hated Leah. Yeah, she desperately wanted her out of the picture. She knew Edward hadn't been enough for her. He was never enough for any of them._

_He would be enough for her. More than enough. He just needed to realize that she could be enough for him as well._

_Bella had watched Edward from afar for literally years. She was friends with Alice and that had allowed her to get close to Edward as well. They grew to be the best of friends._

_Friends. For awhile it was enough. It no longer held the appeal it once had. Her love grew and her heart broke every time one of Edward's relationships ended in disaster. Why did he choose these, these…women? Could he not see how absolutely wrong they were for him? She wanted desperately to jump up and down in front of him and say 'Look at me. I'm right fucking here. We would be perfect together.' But she never did. She knew she wouldn't be able to take it if he were to reject her, so she stayed quiet, to the side, and out of the way._

_Well no more._

Charlotte took a deep breath and smiled as she watched the small girl who was so naturally beautiful she didn't even see it walk over to the one she pined over all those years. Once she had gotten Bella's physical safety under control, she pushed, pulled, and manipulated everything she could to build her up. She spent months helping Bella work on developing different areas of her life, making it something she felt content with. With Charlotte's encouragement, Bella applied and got a dream job at a publishing house. She moved out of her father's house and got her own apartment, living on her own for the first time ever. She took up running and found that her naturally nice shape looked even better when it was fit and tone. She even let Alice take her out for a spa/makeover day that included a new hairstyle that accentuated her facial features and an updated wardrobe. She was feeling more confident about everything in her life, and that in turn made her feel more confident about Edward. She was beginning to see that he, in all of his glorious gorgeousness, may not be so out of reach for her. Now, today, she had a chance to put all that confidence to the test. Charlotte was brimming with pride and also swimming in anxiety. Edward would make her life complete and she could be everything that he needed. She wanted this for her, for them.

She grabbed Peter's hand wanting to share this with him. After all, this would be a victory for him even if he didn't know what was about to happen. He looked at her in confusion. She responded by squeezing his hand and returning her gaze to the scene unfolding in front of them.

_Bella finally made it across the roof so that she was standing right in front of him, almost close enough to touch. Edward looked into her eyes for a lingering moment before dropping it down to his chest._

"_What are you doing here, Bella?" He wasn't angry. In fact, he felt a little bit of relief that someone had known where to look for him._

"_You had to be alone. I get that. But it's been hours and now it's morning. I was worried." He looked up again and saw nothing but sincerity in the eyes of the girl he saw as his friend for years. He thought he knew everything about her. Hell, he had seen her a few times a week every week since he had moved in with his aunt and uncle. But now, seeing the emotion in her eyes, he realized that there was so much he didn't know about her and he couldn't figure out for the life of him why he desperately wanted to spend time learning it all. He swallowed and decided to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue._

"_Did you really not know…about Leah?"_

"_No, I didn't. I had my suspicions that she wasn't being faithful to you, but I didn't know for sure. Alice never said anything either. Believe me, if I had known the truth, I would have told you. But not knowing for sure I couldn't…interfere." _

"_I probably wouldn't have believed you, you know? I probably would have been angry with you."_

"_It still would have been a chance I would have taken. Honesty is important. If a person can't tell someone the truth, can they really claim to be their friend?"_

"_I guess not." There was a pause as Edward chose his next words. Images of Bella being by his side during some of the best and worst moments of his life flashed through his mind. She had celebrated his accomplishments, encouraged him through his struggles, hugged him when he cried. A memory of a young Bella tentatively wrapping her arms around him when he once again broke down in grief over the death of his parents stood out in his mind. She didn't say anything; she just held him and cried with him as he let it all out. She had been there...every time. How could he have not seen it all these years? "You have been a really good friend to me and I'm just now realizing it. You have always been there, never judging, only supporting me through anything and everything. I'm not sure if I have been the same for you."_

This was it. This was her chance. All of Bella's old insecurities rose to the surface but she pushed them down. It was not in her nature to speak about her feeling so freely. But she felt like she had to get them out, like someone was pushing her to say them. That someone was of course Charlotte.

"Come on Bella, you can do it." A few months ago she had been assigned to Bella, but over time this simple girl had become more than just a job to Charlotte. She wanted to her to be happy. Bella's happiness was her own happiness. She willed the girl to take what Charlotte knew belonged to her.

"_You have been a great friend." He was about to cut her off but she put her hand up to indicate that she wasn't finished. Taking a hesitant step forward, she put herself so close to him that his knees were touching her stomach. She had to look up at him and when she did, she saw him looking down at her in way he never had before. She saw warmth, uncertainty, and a little bit of apprehension. Making the first move, she slowly brought up her hands and gently placed them his thighs. She spoke softly._

"_But I don't want to be just your friend…not anymore. I have been waiting so long, Edward. Waiting for you to realize that these women, women like Leah, are not right for you. You deserve someone who will appreciate you for who you are, who admires your talents and accepts your faults. You deserve someone who is loyal and wants you in every way. You deserve to be happy. I-I can make you happy". _

_Edward was mystified and utterly speechless from this girl's confession. He had always felt an attraction to these other girls at first, but when it wore off he began to question his true feelings toward them. This was different. Way fucking different. A wave of possible future scenarios with Bella at his side hit him all at once: the cheers of their friends and family as they announced their relationship, moving in together, dancing forehead to forehead on their wedding night, taking their children to the zoo on a sunny afternoon, making endless love together night after night. His heart swelled and his dick twitched just thinking about it. For the first time ever his feelings about a woman were so clear, so certain. He had been living under a stifling haze that just suddenly lifted._

_Coming to this realization had made him silent a little longer than Bella could take. Before he could respond to her, to tell her that he knew she could make him happy and he could do the same for her, Bella made her move. Brazenly she reached up on her tip toes, put her hands on either side of Edward's face, and leaned in to touch her lips to his. They were soft and tender and filled with a passion he had never felt before. _

_They were filled with unwavering, unconditional love._

_Edward, not being able to resist, found his hands reaching up into her hair, pulling her deeper, deeper into the kiss. With his tongue he begged for her to let him in and she did not even having to think about it. When they finally broke apart, he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them to look at her._

"_This is crazy, you know that?" He said in a joking way but not meaning for it to be funny at all._

"_Maybe, a little." She knew what he meant. It was crazy to think that this was happening after all these years. But as much as this moment was fucking perfect, she had to know what he was thinking. "Listen, Edward. I know my timing is horrendous, but I have to tell you, I don't want to be your rebound girl and if that's what you think this is for you, I need to know now. I won't….I can't…" Bella was starting to lose it. She had been brave and didn't regret anything that she had said or done, but if she lost him now…if she lost him because she hadn't waited for him to get over Leah? Well, it would just about kill her. _

"_Hey." Edward said softly, but she didn't look up or respond. Again he tried except this time he reached down, cupped her face, and made her look at him. Unshed tears filled her eyes and he knew he had to make this right. "Hey. Leah was right, it was over between us a long time ago. You could never be the rebound girl. I had it all wrong, Bella. You should have been the only girl." _

"Awww…he is just so sweet. Peter, you have done a good job with him." Charlotte was wiping her tears of joy and Peter was sitting there stunned out of his fucking mind. Why the hell hadn't he seen what had been right in front of the both of them? She was there, fucking perfect for him in every way and yet he had been oblivious to it.

"Well I don't feel like it. Bella could have made him happy a long, long time ago and because I was so fucking ignorant it took years. And who knows how much longer it would have been if you hadn't gotten Bella to take a stand. I was so wrong in what I thought he needed and wanted. I was a fool. I should have seen it." Peter shook his head and looked down at the ground appalled with himself. Charlotte put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. He was killing her buzz and starting to piss her the hell right off.

"Will you please stop sulking? Not everything is about you and what you do. Even though Bella has loved him since they were kids, she wasn't ready to be with him until now. She had to love herself before she could ever be ready to welcome Edward into her life. It would have been catastrophic otherwise. It happened this way for a reason so get over yourself. There are just some things you can't control." Peter smiled an apology at her, willing to concede to her way of thinking even if she was bitching him out. For once it was nice not to be completely responsible for the doomed love life of Edward Cullen. They both focused on their respective assignments when Edward started to move for the very first time in hours.

_Sliding off the roof wall, Edward embraced her tiny frame in his arms. "We have a lot to talk about."_

"_Yes, we do." Bella let her self be surrounded by his warmth, his comfort, even his smell which at this point wasn't exactly the best. She guessed an entire night of smoking and drinking would do that."_

"_Wanna get out of here?"_

"_Only if you do."_

"_I do. I don't have any reason to stay here." And Edward meant it. He had nothing to think about and nothing to run from. He could feel his life changing and he wanted to start living it as soon as possible._

"_Okay then." She entwined her hand with his and started to tug. "I'll make you breakfast and you can shower. I hate to be the one to tell you, but you stink." She wrinkled her nose and he chuckled before wrapping himself around her from behind and kissing the back of her neck. _

"_Well someone very special once told me that if a person can't tell someone the truth, they can't really claim to be their friend." He whispered in her ear._

"_Well honesty is the best policy."_

"_Why yes it is and let me start by saying…" Edward stopped and moved to face her. He took her other hand and looked into her eyes. "…I honestly think I'm in love with you. It's possible I always have been. I was just too blind to see it."_

_A smile, a kiss, and the door to the roof shutting with a click. They were gone._

Peter let out a loud, cleansing breath. "Wow. That was really something. I don't think I've ever seen Edward so, so…"

"In love?" Charlotte blurted before he had the chance to finish. She was still coming down from the high of seeing it all come together.

"Yeah…and happy." Peter took a moment to contemplate that. He had been working on it for years but to see it actually come to fruition was very, very satisfying. He put his hands together with a loud clap and rubbed them together. He looked over Charlotte appreciatively. She was a fine looking woman.

"Well now that that's all settled, maybe you and I could hang out a bit. What do you say?" She knew what he meant by hanging out.

"I am not having sex with you." Charlotte deadpanned.

"But why not?" He whined. "You're a sexy angel, I'm a sexy angel…we could be great together." He motioned between them as he waggled his eyebrows at her for the second time that night. It had been a long time since he had experienced any angelic lovin'. Way too long. She pondered his words for a minute before letting him know exactly what she thought.

"Not a chance in Hell…or Heaven for that matter." Charlotte chuckled a little too long at her own joke while Peter pouted. Ignoring his discontent she decided that with her work done, it was time to go. Her parting words were spoken innocently enough, but her wicked smiled conveyed a whole different message. "Well, I guess I'll see you at the wedding. Take _care_ of yourself, Peter." And poof, she was gone.

Peter shook his head as he stood up and adjusted himself. Take care of himself? No doubt he would have to now. Damn angel.

**This was my attempt to really think outside the box. I would love to here what you think!**

**Don't forget to check out the other entries and vote some time between February 13****th**** – 22****nd****. **

**http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~ficapiccontest**


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